Katniss Vs Predator
by CleverforClever
Summary: Katniss faces off against the Predator. It had to be done. Sequel now up.
1. Chapter 1

Hunger Games Predator

Okay, this is my first fan fiction for Hunger Games, so please be nice. And if I owned 'Hunger Games' this would not be fan fiction, now would it? And I don't own Predator either, so get over it.

Chapter One; Somewhere on Planet Earth

A creature of unknown origin, and unknown name watched the proceedings with something close to delight. The area was perfect, a combination of heat and conflict. Contestants were entered specifically to die in these games, so it was a perfect situation.

The creature let out growls. Anticipation built as it peered at the images on the screen. Several contestants from the lower numbered districts gained its attention. They were warriors, intending to fight and kill for glory. He understood them. The middle numbered districts were of little interest to him. Although healthy, there were not killers. By the time both tributes from ten were called, he found himself bored.

The tributes from eleven were fine specimens. The big one, Thresh, looked like big game, a decent hunt, and the little one, Rue, her red pelt would look good on his wall. His mind, though finely tuned for the hunt, was already turned to the weapons in its arsenal. Disheartened at the thought that the tributes from Twelve would be one twelfth as good as One's offerings, the creature leaned back in its chair, prepared to ignore the latest prey. A screechy woman announced, "Primrose," and a small morsel looked on in shock.

The creature almost sighed. This was not prey, this was what he, no, this is what prey stepped on while he hunted prey.

"I volunteer!"

His attention turned back to the screen. Yes, yes, this is what he was looking for; something worth his time, worthy of his blades. The pair on his arm popped out in anticipation. He looked them over before retracting them.

She was a hunter. Her footsteps were silent from practice, her eyes quick, but calm. It was obvious; she was the prize.

He would not merely take her skull. No, he would have this one stuffed. The creature beat his chest to the rhythmic pounding of war drums.

The second was… less exciting. This 'Peeta' was not a killer. He worked inside, like prey ought to. The one upside to this prey was that it was large, well-built from its time working. Perhaps when provoked it would show just how strong it was….

The creature snorted. This was to be one of the best hunts! It growled happily, strapped its cannons on, wrapping its loincloth on, and shin guards. The blades were already in place. It was time to put on a 'game face.'

The creature placed its mask on with a hiss.

It was ready for the games.

Katniss was not ready for the games. In her experience, hunts like this went poorly. Life and death hung on her gut, and her guts were most likely to be in a six foot radius around her body tomorrow afternoon. A sinking in her stomach signaled her that lunch may be making its reappearance.

Why did she only get three days to prepare? Why did she have to be picked over like a piece of meat? And why would it matter if somebody cared about her?

Katniss rolled her eyes unpleasantly. All he said was… it did not matter. Peeta… he deserved to have an arrow put into his face, or maybe between his legs. Oh, he would pay. How dare he even speak to her that way? How dare he look her in the eyes like that? Or talk to her like he loved her?

Her breaths came in huffs and puffs. Katniss banged her head against the wall. This was supremely unpleasant, and ridiculous. The only reason this mattered is because it might get her sponsors. That was the only reason it matters. There was no reason whatsoever to get worked up over this… whatever it was.

'I know,' she said to herself, 'I'll just think about Gale.'

She wondered what he was doing. 'Must be out hunting,' She thought to herself, imagining the sun beating down on the trees. Gale hunted with her on such a regular basis. It was much easier to imagine Gale walking the outskirts of district twelve than it was to imagine what was going to happen tomorrow.

The door opened quietly. An official she did not recognize entered, "Hello, Katniss, my name is Herald. I just wanted to get a better look at you, just in case you survive. President Snow and I have a bet over whether or not you will survive," He stepped far into her comfort zone, and took a lock of her hair, "And I sincerely hope you know what happens to the winners." He paused. Katniss, startled, shook her head. Looking into her eyes, he explained, "The winners belong to President Snow, and I'm going to buy you."

He turned and left, undermining whatever drive she had to win.

A.N. I purposely put Gale in to show just how much of a drag he is on a story line. I like the guy, but honestly, he rarely does anything productive to the story itself. I liked this idea; Katniss vs. Predator. It is going to be awesome. But now I have to deal with writing it. In case you're wondering, we're going with the first book's plot, coupled with the first Predator movie.

The Predator is not going to be as well-armed as his brothers.

Please read and review the chapter. Right now, I just need some encouragement.

Paste your document here...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two; On the Field

The predator stood on the edge of the field. He knew how important it was to familiarize oneself with the area of the hunt. It could mean the difference between a good hunt and a hunt that would end with a horrible bloody death. (Both were enjoyable, but he could only blow himself up once.) The forest was perfect; the flora was thick enough to make use of, but sparse enough that the predator would not have to worry about brushing against it, ruining his stealth. There was a lake, no, 'watering hole,' that would attract thirsty prey. From past footage the creature knew that thirst would drive tributes to the area. It was inevitable. The far side was an area of dense grass. It was not ideal for a hunter that could turn invisible, but it would present a new kind of hunting opportunity.

The tribute's platforms were mined, ensuring his prey would be prepared for the game. The large horn was somewhat negligible; it served the purposes of the capital and little else.

There was only one thing that bothered this creature; outside interference. The area was littered with cameras, permeated with control devices, plus it was completely surrounded by a force field. It would be a very foolish thing to enter this area without first taking control of it. The creature remembered one of his finest hunts. He and two of his brothers landed at the temple created for the hunt. The humans there made excellent incubators for the arthropod monsters. But then, without warning, one of the humans managed to turn the temple's mechanics against them, stranding this creature by itself.

And it was a long walk home.

He would not make the same mistake. After a quick check, it became obvious that it was run out of a hovercraft levitating above the field of battle. This hovercraft controlled everything; the force fields, the mines, even the cameras. If the creature could gain control of the hovercraft, it would control the games themselves.

The humans had finished preparing the field for his hunt, and were now headed towards the hovercraft, oblivious to what was about to happen.

A deep chuckle came up his lips.

Katniss rose into the blinking sun. Beside her, there were almost two dozen other tributes, terrified out of their minds. All but one would be dead in a matter of days.

Katniss swallowed hard. She took her minute of inaction to check out the area. Obviously, she would be going for the forest. She did not have the stamina to stay in the lake, and the high grass was so intimidating… There was no way she was staying in the open. Her life seemed to revolve around her ability to get to the forest. She paused, using her experienced eyes to check the area for prey. Her eyes, trained so hard for hunting, worked efficiently, telling her what plants she could eat, where there were signs of animals. Movement… in the distance; it was almost nothing, but her eyes detected something there. It looked like a shimmer.

There was only one way for her to win; she had to trust Peeta. It was a horrible situation. Why she had to trust someone who may as well be a total stranger was beyond her. She wondered, absently, whether Gale was now rambling about how unfair it was that this had happened to her. But what if he was telling the truth? Katniss did not want to go down that road, but he did seem to want her to survive, to win.

Of course, if the Capitol decided she had to lose, she would. That was the worst part, the thought that she was not in control. She had survived the wild, this was simply a simulation. They would sit back, relax, and kill her. Somewhere above her, in an unseen hovercraft, someone was relaxing and enjoying their coffee.

The hovercraft was in chaos. Screams erupted from everywhere. Seneca Crane idly wondered why blood was pouring down his chest. He had not angered President Snow. He did not anger anyone else in the Capital…

The invisible villain was slaughtering the well-armed crew. They were prepared to take down a single intruder, just in case one of the victors was only playing dead. But whatever this thing was, it was far more powerful than some tricky teenager.

The creature returned to the bridge, and overrode the computer, giving it complete control over the entire arena. Everyone was going to be slaughtered, there was not going to be a victor this year. He activated every system override he could. He may as well give those kids a fighting chance; it was his job as game keeper.

The creature admired this, but still slit Crane's throat.

The horn blew. Whatever it was in the forest was gone now. The second long delay had ruined her chance to claim the bow. Instead, she had to settle for a blood-stained backpack and a knife. Peeta was nowhere to be seen as she headed into the forest. Death and destruction called to her in siren song behind her, promising the Capitol's supplies, and a bloody death.

She headed into the woods where she will live dehydrated for the next couple of days.

Author's Notes; Alright, I'm going to start skipping stuff. Katniss goes into the woods and gets here stuff in trouble. To be truthful, you should know how this goes if you've read the books, which also happens to be the reason I am writing in third person. If you want to read this from inside her head, read the books.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three; Inside the Compound

The death toll was clearly rising. Peeta was fighting it out with a male tribute. The two were locked in intense combat. Peeta slammed his opponent down on the ground, knocking his breath out. Peeta looked down at his foe, disheartened at the thought of killing him. That thought quickly evaporated as he returned to his footing with a knife. Peeta drew back as the tribute lunged.

Then he spurted blood everywhere. Peeta looked down to see two rivers of blood running down his opponent's chest. The knife fell to the ground. Peeta, absently, saw the shimmer, and thought of that cat he saw with Prim; Buttercup.

"You're a bad Buttercup!" He called. The creature, startled, decided to back away. He growled at the thought of being called 'Buttercup,' but decided not to attack this tribute. He was soft now, but there appeared to be an undercurrent of strength. If Peeta decided to, he could be a worthy opponent.

The creature turned and disappeared into the woods. Peeta picked up the knife, now covered in blood, and turned to the Career tributes. They had finished off the 'chaff' competitors. Tributes from poorer districts littered the field, bleeding with indiscriminant abandonment. The Careers stalked about Peeta, measuring up. Cato was furious, sure that the best thing to do right now is finish off such a healthy competitor. The rest of the team, however, agreed that he would be their ally; for now.

Peeta swallowed nervously. His whole life, his friends had been loyal to him. Sure, he had never connected with Katniss, but Madge and many others had liked him. The people, however, were going to kill him soon. Peeta knew he had to die. Katniss, to live, had to swim out on a river of blood. He would not be following her. Glimmer took to him a bit more than the rest. She stepped between Cato and Peeta, tracing the sinews of the latter's arms.

She purred out 'lover boy' and declared that she wanted him, "On my team, in my team, all over my team, beautiful!"

He shuddered. Clove checked the body over. The damage indicated it had been by a large opponent, such as a one hundred seventy pound adolescent male. The double wound puzzled her. They were from behind, meaning that the tribute had been stabbed in the back. The lines were concentric, which indicated a weapon that did not exist on the field. So how had the tribute died? Did Peeta have anything to do with this death in any sense? Everyone had seen them fighting. But if he had a powerful ally, one that was as strong as he was…

Clove discontinued this train of thought was not getting her anywhere. She would kill Peeta and his ally. Or someone would. They would all be dead very, very soon.

The group collected supplies from the Cornucopia. Some kid from district three had kept himself alive by promising he could repurpose the mines. After stacking the supplies, the Careers set up defenses to keep the supply of food and weapons under their control.

"Alright," Declared Marvel, "We head out at night. It's going to be cold, so expect those newbies to make their own fires. Tonight, we hunt by campfire!"  
A chorus of roars sounded. Peeta swallowed hard. It was going to be a long night.

The creature tried to pace itself. It had already killed one. It was only fair to let the prey believe itself to be a predator. The one that responded to 'Peeta' needed some time before he would make for an excellent hunt. He was too peaceful, defensive when he ought to be a cold-blooded killer.

'Buttercup' sighed. Katniss and Peeta were his primary focus right now. The careers were too much even for him. Still, there was little doubt in his mind that he could beat them all. There was simply no reason he had to cut the hunt short.

Right now, he was stalking Katniss, which, as it turns out, was no easy feat. She was always on alert, always attentive. The slightest sound was registered, a movement in the grass investigated. Even the wind worked for her, giving clues to direction and sending her his exotic scent.

Katniss was on edge all the time. He followed at a distance until nightfall. The cold wind swept his body, chilling his exposed skin; but still, he waited. Life, death, discomfort, none of it mattered, only the hunt. He did not dare sharpen his knife. Another tribute stumbled into the same zone. She was foolish enough to light a fire.

Light and heat attracted predators, prey ought to know that! Peeta ran into the clearing. He was no killer, not yet, that much was obvious. He was too eager. Yet he was also too unwilling to kill. His knife went high, only slicing into the top of his victim.

The group gave its approval, calling him, 'Peeta Mauler' and patting him on the back as they walked away. Katniss climbed out of the tree after the group was gone.

Buttercup growled as the victim on the ground squirmed in its death throes. Taking its own form of pity, the creature sliced her head off. Her skull would never adorn anything; but sloppy kills bothered the predator. Having prey sit around flopping lamely in its own blood made a bad hunt.

Now the creature faced a dilemma; follow Katniss or the Careers. The more impressive kill ought to be saved for last. The better kill, the more dangerous hunt ought to be saved for last. There were two options presented, between Peeta and his pack of killers and Katniss Everdeen. The creature considered which trail to follow.

On the one hand, Peeta and his crew, fresh off their first kill, their adrenaline was flowing, they were well armed, well-fortified, and were working as a team to kill anything in their path. They were vicious, brutal, and had enough strength to wipe out all opposition. They were expecting someone to attack them; they had done everything humanly possible to prepare themselves. They believed themselves the top of the pack, and thus, the last to hunt.

On the other hand Katniss Everdeen was tired, dehydrated, without her signature weapon, and alone.

Buttercup took after the Careers.

Katniss was what his people called a 'big bad time.' You didn't even want to think about hunting those. Not at first anyway...

A.N. I present this deal to you; you review, I give you more chapters. If people don't care enough to tell me what they think, I don't care enough to publish it. The story is mostly done anyways.

Katniss is one bad motherf*kker. I put in two 'k's 'cause she's a bit gangster. I'm a little scared of her. I figured the predator would be too.

Who wants to guess where I'm going next in the story?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four; The True Predator

Katniss felt much better. She had a steady supply of water, and felt secure about her standing. Well, it was only a matter of time before someone ruined it. Rue appeared at the edge of her camp, warily approaching Katniss. The two eyed each other. In Rue's hands was a bow.

Katniss forced herself to take a breath, "Would you like some water?"

Rue sighed in relief. She wanted an ally, but figured there was no way anybody would want to team up with her. She happened to get her hands on the bow and prayed for good fortune. Then Katniss had appeared. This was a good sign. Rue's odds of getting back to her district were still slim, but at least now she had a chance.

Rue gulped the water down hungrily. She watched Katniss with curious eyes.

Katniss outlined a plan she had been working on. When she finished, there was obviously something still bothering her.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" Rue asked, though this was clearly not the place to vent one's troubles.

Although hesitant at first, the older girl told the younger what she saw, or rather, did not see, "It was like a summertime shimmer, when a heat wave hits, you know?"

The little girl nodded, "Yeah, I could have sworn I saw something in the woods yesterday when I was trying to hide from the Careers."

Katniss tried to process that information. Perhaps the Capital had engineered an invisible monster to hunt them. That would make sense. It was their sort of play. No doubt advertisements were running right now that the capitol had yet another way to kill its citizens. Gale came to mind. He probably had to watch them.

Still, Katniss set her traps to try and ensnare the creature. She figured, correctly, that it was too smart to fall for such obvious ploys, but the traps may still prove useful. If food stumbled into the traps, or a slow-witted competitor it would justify the energy expended.  
Katniss laid down a simple reconnaissance plan; she would go and check out the Career tributes base, then come back and check on Rue.  
"And Rue, whatever you do, err on the side of safety. Don't do anything dangerous," She stroked the Rue's hair behind the little girl's ear, "And don't try and take on any situation you aren't one hundred percent certain of."

A painful feeling rose up in her stomach. She knew what maternal feelings were, though she tried to deny their existence with Prim. Prim was her sister, it was only natural to look out for her. But Rue, Rue should be kept alive. She was innocent.

But somebody had to die before the day was out.

Buttercup stalked his victims warily. There was no human on earth that was his equal, but these children were made for this. This was to be the finest of hunts; good game, a great arena. There was, unfortunately, a bit of a stalemate going on right now.

Thresh was safely in his tall grass. If he had only his brute strength, he was still formidable. Plus, the ability to turn invisible would mean nothing in there. The Careers were spending too long deciding where to go next.

Buttercup set back and watched them. He found this group reminiscent of his own. The alien found himself reminiscing. His brothers always took their time deciding how and what to hunt. They would balance type of prey against probable results. Peeta, for instance, would be allowed to live until he became a real killer. The trained killers were prepared to die, and thus were ready to be hunted properly.

Buttercup kept his distance from the group. They were finely tuned killers, so any slight disturbance would set them off. It was a small miracle they had not spotted him before now. He almost scoffed at their ignorance aloud.

It was then that an arrow hit him squarely between the shoulder blades, deactivating his cloak.

Buttercup turned from the stares of the group to see Katniss Everdeen triumphantly lowering her new bow. The look in her eyes was that of a true predator, one that capitalized on her prey's weakness, the situations of the hunt, and used her weapon with style and grace. He bowed his head slightly in respect.

The careers had recovered from their shock, and started their attack.

A.N. Thanks to everyone for reviewing! Even the ones who were a bit on the sarcastic side... Now, someone was wondering what I meant by having Katniss, 'stuffed.' Let me explain; I meant in terms of taxidermy. I believe that this is rated 'T', but it may be 'M'. If you are reading this 'cause you think the Predator is going to 'stuff' Katniss... go home. You aren't the sickest person on Fanfiction, but you are certainly trying.

If I did a story...

"Oh, Mr. Predator, what are you doing here, while I in Jennifer Lawrence's body, am taking a swim in the water to cool myself."

"Grrrr."  
"Oh, I'll wrestle it out of you!"

"Grrrr!"  
"Is that another weapon?"

And so on and so forth. If you think this is some sort of Predator/Katniss thing... go away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five; Blowing the Crap Out of Everything

Peeta was not sure his new 'friends' could kill… whatever this thing was. But they had numbers, and were relatively well armed. It was then that a shoulder mounted laser rifle made its presence known. It blasted the mines protecting the supplies. The blast knocked everything in the immediate area down.

The world flipped around on Peeta. He wished his life could have been a bit simpler. The one advantage to the Games was that Katniss was no longer on her way to marrying Gale. Peeta at least had a shot, or, to be more specific, he had the time now to show her he loved her.

Shrapnel sliced into his leg. Someone's elbow struck him in the back. He landed face-first in the dirt. Eternity passed while the group tried to get its bearing. Cato was the first to recover.

The boy got up, and kicked the tribute from District Three. As angry as the career was, he was even angrier that some techno-geek had been closer to the creature; although in this case, being closer simply meant dying first.

Cato was screaming obscenities that would no doubt be blocked in tonight's rebroadcast. Glimmer stumbled to her feet, "Marvel, what in the buttocks of the Capital's mutts was that?!"  
The blond-haired boy stuttered out an answer that made almost no sense, then fell back to the ground.

"I know what it is," Peeta answered stupidly, "I saw it earlier, on the battlefield."  
The others drew closer, curious.

"And I think he's following me," Peeta explained. That had a polarizing effect. Everyone started backing away.

"Lover boy," said Glimmer, "I will take some competition from Katniss, but not that, that thing!"

Peeta felt his mouth quirk. He understood this was one of those moments in which he could turn the tide, "We have to band together. This thing is hunting us, all of us."

The Careers exchanged looks, and Cato exclaimed, "There's no proof it will kill anyone else."  
A scream erupted in the distance. Katniss, hearing Rue, took off.

Cato looked cross, "That could be anything. I can't even hear you begging your girlfriend to return."

Peeta rolled his eyes.

Katniss ran to the origin of the scream. She could hear Rue trying to fight the monster. _It's your fault, Katniss,_ she heard the little girl's voice in her head, _if we hadn't talked about the creature, he would have stopped and killed your 'boyfriend'._

Katniss ran at top speed. The adrenaline in her system messed with her perception of time. A single footfall took hours, each inhale was ten minutes of tiny knives running inside of her lungs. Katniss ran as her breath ran short, but not even she could beat death to the scene.

She skittered to a stop, pony-tail whipping obediently over her left shoulder, her cheeks flushed with a blush as her lips puffed forward to retrieve sufficient oxygen. Eternity stretched as she slid to a halt.

The creature was stuck in the same adrenaline fueled eternity. Katniss was forced to watch as he speared Rue through with his blades. Her hand brought the arrow out of the quiver as the blood spurted out of the young girl's mouth.

Katniss knocked her arrow as the creature withdrew, throwing blood and guts across the ground. Rue knew she was dead.

"No!" Arrow after arrow flew as the creature fled. Katniss gathered the small girl in her arms, and sang her to sleep. Time returned to its regular form. It was horrible now, even worse than before. It meant that Rue's last moments would fly by. Her breath withered in the air. Tears dropped onto the little girl's face. Katniss, for the first time in years, was genuinely crying. She had decided not to cry, that it would show weakness, and that she would take anything the Capital would throw at her; but this was different. This was a true predator. It was a ringer sent in to take away any chance the others had of winning. It was unfair. It was something they would do.

Katniss did not hear Peeta coming up behind her. A Mocking-jay signaled the approach of an airship. He forced his fellow tribute away from her friend.

Sobbing, Katniss was cradled by Peeta, "The Capital has to know what's happening now. They have to be sending help…"

President Snow stared at Herald with an expression best described as 'shocked.'

"Herald," He started, calling the man by both his title, and his name, "You mean to tell me we have no control whatsoever over what's happening in the arena."

The other figure rocked back and forth, "Well, yes and no, sir. This thing is-"  
He was cut off as two Peacekeepers strangled him. He held up his arms.

"You will explain what is happening now!" Exclaimed his superior.

Once released, Herald began his explanation, "We have… unreliable records of a vicious predator that hunts humans. They go back to the American Era, and beyond, all the way to the time before the Western world touched this continent."

Silence ruled the room. He continued, "These things are attracted to two things; heat and conflict. I believe the games were made to ensnare one. We have problems now. It's smart, tough, and has evaded our capture so far. We have to put enough hope in the tributes to take him down. One wrong move and…"  
President Snow's left eyebrow quirked, "And what, Herald?"  
An image appeared behind the lecturer of a massive crater, "These guys aren't exactly known for their stability."

A.N. Whew! Two reviews, two chapters, that's the deal. Keep reviewing if you want to read more. By the way, someone kinda thought the Predator would only have wrist blades. Eh, not quite. I just didn't want this to turn into, "Oh, gosh, I love the whip, and the smart discs!" I wanted it to be like the original movie. Something newer will show up, but you have to wait...

Read and Review. Or just praise me. Either works for me.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six; A New Way Out

Once it was apparent no outside help was coming, the tributes came together.  
The first question was, 'now what?'

It was amusing to Katniss that these kids were ready to kill one another, or die trying, but now that they had a common enemy, they were clueless. Peeta took charge. A thrill ran through Katniss. Peeta, though not the greatest of minds, was certainly able to get the groups to work together.

"Alright, first things first, we have to start working together. Right now, we're all allies," He said this in a voice that brokered no argument, "Next, we have to figure out what we're going to do to stop this thing."  
A chorus of moans came up. No one wanted to face it. Katniss surprised herself by speaking up, "I hit it in the back."  
Everyone looked at her, "Not that that did that much." She finished sheepishly.

Glimmer rolled her eyes, "You did more damage than you realize…" She held up an arrow with glowing green goo stuck to the point. Katniss snatched it up, and observed it.

"If it bleeds…" She started.

"We can kill it?" Peeta asked hopefully.

"Maybe, maybe not," Answered Katniss, "But at least now I can track it."

Her answer did little to put the group at ease. They shifted away from her uneasily; fully aware she attracted the monster like catnip. She pretended not to notice how much she repelled others. It was time for some planning.

Fox Face took charge, "Look there's no way out of the arena. I know for a fact that it's surrounded by a force field. Also, the Capital is in complete control, so there's no way to even begin this conversation. This whole area seems to be running on autopilot."

Peeta replied, "I don't think the capital is in charge anymore… I mean, this thing probably killed anyone that could interfere with the games."  
This terrified the group even more. District 12 tributes seemed to be insane.

"I say we continue the games. If the arena is working automatically, than the last person alive can walk out," Cato seemed confident that he would be the one walking out.

Marvel spoke up hopefully, "What if we took the aircraft out?"

Glimmer rolled her eyes, "We can't destroy the aircraft."  
He sneered at her, "I meant what if we hi-jacked it?"

She rolled her eyes, "The only way out is if you're dead…"

Fox Face's eyes lit up, "That's it! We can fly out of here!"

Marvel looked hopeful too. Cato brought them back down to earth, "As if no one's tried that before. Let's be honest here; the Capital must keep those playing possum from escaping."

"What do you think, Katniss?" Peeta asked.

Taken off guard, Katniss said the first thing that came to mind, "Let's hunt."

Somewhere in the bushes, the predator watched his prey. The audio played over and over in his headpiece; "Let's hunt, let's hunt, let's hunt, hunt… hunt…!"

If the monster could grin, it would.

It looked over the field, selecting a target. The group had split up, hoping to fan out across the woods and find him. There was a good chance Buttercup could avoid them; besides being nearly invisible, he also had control over the anti-tribute systems. It would only take the press of a button to separate them. But which one should he kill…? Peeta was becoming more and more of a warrior all the time. And Katniss, she had displayed a disturbing ability to damage him. Marvel, Glimmer, Cato and Clove all appeared to be perfect targets; ready and willing to mix it up. Then there were the remaining tributes; Thresh and Fox Face. One was hefty, reminding the creature that he had not gotten a decent kill in some time, the other was clever, and would make for an excellent hunt.

But first, it was time to remind Katniss that she was prey. She was gaining confidence, and thus losing her humility. It was time to show her why her ancestors had praised the predators as gods.

Buttercup allowed the parties to split up. He followed the Careers for a while, watching them for weaknesses. The girls were slightly more graceful than the boys, but they did not seem to possess the same level-headedness of their male companions. Once they supplied their stalker with enough information, he switched to the coal miner's daughter.

He stalked Katniss for several minutes. She was difficult as always. Buttercup started to resent her; she hunted so well, expecting that he was around, anticipating places he might be. She almost hit him with an arrow. He tracked her to a small stream.

Katniss had foolishly separated for the rest of the team. She was headstrong, a good quality to have in prey. Stubbornness often led to better fights. Prey that displayed this quality also tended to separate, allowing them to be killed alone. She was almost a perfect specimen.

By going to the stream, she factored in his cloak, and insured he would leave footprints. Buttercup briefly considered leaving her for later, but he realized that she had been far too neutral. Yes, she had attacked him, but he wanted more, he wanted her to go all out. Perhaps a little mutilation would be in order.

Buttercup prepared to leap from behind, slashing across her back. It would hurt, which would force her to retaliate. He set his right foot down to leap, but the mud bed had more give than he realized.

It also groaned.

Peeta looked up terrified as an invisible creature put its massive leg on his stomach. His camouflage was so good, he was invisible to it. Katniss had insisted they separate so that if it killed her, it would let the rest of them go. So he disguised himself along the river. He did not think his disguise would be this effective.

He slid his knife out of his sheath and stuck it into the leg. The monster howled. It leapt off his chest. Peeta managed to get to his knees.

Buttercup hobbled backwards. He glared down at his foot, and removed the offending knife. Glaring, he threw it away and barreled towards Katniss.

Her shock at seeing the creature, and Peeta, wore off instantly and she sent an arrow right into where its heart should be. It barely blinked.

She turned and ran for her life, fully aware it could kill her anytime it wanted. Explosions sounded all around her. The trees burst into flames as the cannons fired. Heat seared her skin. Katniss felt like she was running through one of the fires she and Gale would make to cook their game.

She hoped she was not game for this hunter. 'Just a little bit further…' The creature rushed to a stop as Thresh stepped into play.

"Now!" Katniss screamed. Fox Face leapt down from the trees, driving her knives into the shoulder cannons. She was backhanded away as Thresh tackled the beast.

The two massive opponents stared each other down for a few moments before they collided. It was painfully obvious that no one else could compete with the monster on sheer strength.

They connected with an audible 'thud' and wrestled for a few seconds. The creature was larger, and obviously more experienced. Thresh on the other hand had sheer stubbornness.

"You kill that girl? Did you, monster? Did you kill that sweet little girl?" He was screaming at the top of his lungs. The creature drove its elbow into his shoulder. Thresh let out a yelp, after being driven down onto his knees. His bones cracked.

The creature stood over him, snarling. It drove the boy lower.

"No!" Thresh cried, bear hugging the beast and flipping it onto its back. Now on top, the boy hammered the beast with his fists.  
Katniss, now recovered, drew her bow back. She waited for the pair to stop thrashing before taking a shot.

'So close,' she thought to herself, 'just a little more…'

Cannon blasts sounded in the distance, distracting her for a second. How could a tribute be dead if they were all working together? Something connected with the back of her head. Cato had lost patience, and was now slaughtering everyone in sight.

"Cato, don't!" Katniss screamed. He was already fighting Foxface. She was losing, of course. He was too fast. Her head sailed through the air. Katniss had to choose between shooting the monster, or shooting a slightly different monster. A high-pitched whistle sounded from the predator, but he dodged behind trees, running away.

She took a shot at Cato. The arrow bounced off him, "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" She hollered. Cato charged at her, willfully ignoring the threat of the creature. It was obvious that the temporary truce was now over.

Katniss was bowled over by the large male. He was about to kill her when Peeta pulled him off, "Do you hear that?" He whispered. There was a sound in the distance between a growl and a roar.

Cato's eyes went wild. A second later, he bolted.

Peeta updated Katniss. The Careers had gotten into a fight hoping to end the Games and go home. It was now Cato against both tributes from District Twelve, "Peeta, I have a plan…"

The predator was watching the pair. It was almost time to take them both out. He could no longer control where the cameras were, but that was okay, because they followed Peeta when he tried to get the Career tributes to go help Katniss. In the ensuing bloodbath, he had stuck Marvel through with a spear.

His hunting dogs were here. The Predator Hounds were the only living remnant of his time off world.

Peeta was finally proper prey. And Katniss, well, she was ready too. Of course, he wanted to wait until they were separated. Take them out, but take the time savoring that. The arena was wired to drive the tributes together, but what system to use…?

Buttercup decided that he had waited long enough. He used his wrist device to activate the arena's anti-tribute system; All of them.

The sky exploded.

A.N. I owe a huuuuuuge apology to a loyal fan Predator chick. I was being really sarcastic about the whole thing with the stuffing. I just want people to know this isn't going to be smutty. Sometimes I browse through fiction and I find people put it into the middle of a story for dramatic effect.

Now, I also owe you an explanation for the Predator's plan here; right now, he wants to observe her. Eventually, he will likely try to skin her, but first, he needs to kill everyone around her!

Apology accepted? (I'm serious, I love people who review my stuff. I meant it more as a joke for people who are looking for weird fiction where people get naked.)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven; The Final Tribute

Katniss and Peeta looked on in terror and awe as fire, earth, air and water swirled about them. The ground shook beneath their feet. A sheet of fire drove them towards the lake, even as the rain eroded their alternative paths. The wind was blowing so hard, it ripped apart the forest. There was no safe place left, except maybe the Cornucopia.

"Cato will be there!" Katniss screamed to her companion. He nodded, limping along. Peeta was tired, and injured. He would not be too much help in a fight. She decided to try and keep him alive. If her plan worked, she would need all the help she could get.

Monstrous beasts appeared at their backs. Katniss stopped for half a beat to fell one. The arrow entered through one eye and came out the other side. She felt momentary satisfaction- until it stubbornly got back up. It hobbled into a tree with a squishing sound, then walked off to die. Apparently these monsters were tough.

Peeta grabbed her arm as he passed her. He was determined to keep her moving. They arrived at the clearing in record time.

Cato was there. He was panting from his own run. Upon their approach, he fell into a stance, brandishing a spear. Then his eyes fell on the mutts.

"No…" He breathed, and he clambered up the horn. As his hand reached the very top, an arrow pierced it. Peeta used his body as a rudimentary ladder. Climbing all the way up, he turned and helped up Katniss, oblivious to the fact that Cato had started his ascent as well. The three scrambled as far from the beasts as possible. Katniss shot one in the spine. The rest attempted to scramble up the slick side. They were especially attracted to the bloody hole the tributes made seconds earlier.

They continued to wait for instructions from their master until they figured none were coming, and fell on their injured member. Disgusting yelps followed by a death howl shook the bones of the tributes.

Peeta turned to Cato, "Well, at least now we know you're going to follow the plan."

The other boy was skeptical, "And how's that going to work?" The world around them was falling apart, but boys would be boys. They had to have their big confrontation.

"Because the plan is to kill you," Peeta grimaced. His leg, damaged as it was, had started to bleed again. Katniss was no good at all at hand-to-hand. Cato smirked.

The two males fell on each other immediately. Katniss tied a rope around her partner's good leg. That way when he slipped off, she could save him.

Cato was winning the fight. Although tired, exhausted and dehydrated, he was not nearly as weak as his opponent. His training forced him to keep going, even as he and his opponent banged down the side of the horn.

When they fell, Katniss attached a rope to an arrow and fired it into the spine of another tracker on the opposite side of the horn. The arrow lodged itself in deeply. When the boys dangled, the dog ran under the horn to nip at them, whipping the boys back up, then down as it lost interest.  
The yoyo effect tortured Peeta. He was sore, tired, and losing his patience. The rope was slipping off his leg.

Finally, he yanked free, plunging himself and Cato into a meat grinder. Distantly, he heard Katniss screaming for him. She was upset. Maybe she cared after all…

Then he saw the arrow hit Cato right between the eyes. She killed her last foe. There was some peace to be found in all this: Katniss would be okay. She would go home, marry Gale, have her children, and move on with her life.

A whistle sounded in the distance, and the hounds disappeared. Peeta swore under his breath. His leg was shot. There was no way he would be able to use it, maybe ever. It was also likely that this fight was not over. A warning warble sounded nearby. Soon an airship whined overhead.

"Now, Peeta, let's get out of here!" Screamed Katniss as the claw descended. Since the ship was on auto pilot, it grabbed Cato and pulled him up. Peeta grabbed onto the body. His fellow tribute helped him climb higher onto the claw. She hugged him close, and it almost seemed like she truly cared about him. The line shuddered. The creature had mounted the body in an attempt to keep the two trapped.

Katniss was struggling. She had to keep her own footing safe while keeping her 'boyfriend' from falling, and she also had to deal with the monster. The creature snarled. Its cloak was deactivated. It was nasty looking. Katniss had encountered many animals, but none were ferocious as this creature. It grabbed Peeta by his bad leg.

"Really, that's what you go for, you freak?" He hollered angrily, "Every time with the leg! I have another leg you know!" He was angry, and in pain. Katniss thought hollowly that the line was slowing down, and would soon stop. They would not make it to the airship. She told Peeta.

"Peeta you have to shake him off! The line can't hold this much weight!" The panic was etched into her face. The line trembled from the fight. The three could barely hold on. He could tell she was actually scared.

Her fellow tribute looked into her eyes with the gaze of a man smitten. He was shaking his leg back and forth trying to free himself. The creature snarled. Peeta took a breath, and launched away from Cato.

"Peeta, no!" Screamed Katniss as the line ascended into the ship. The two landed with a bang. There was nothing she could do now to bring him back. She ascended into the airship helplessly.

A.N. Oooooh! A cliffie! Many thanks to loyal readers (i.e. Predator Chick) how about somebody ELSE giving me some in-spur-A-she-own? Post a review, get a chapter. I've finished this one, so don't worry about timing. Now, I don't know how to set up a poll, so **SOMEBODY** let me know if you think I should make a sequel.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Peeta vs. Predator

The second he pushed Katniss away, Peeta felt a deep sense of regret. Whatever hope that the new plan had rekindled had been subsequently squashed. He was screwed.

The two were falling through the air, about five body-lengths from the ground. Both were already bleeding heavily. The monster was out for blood, and this time, there would be nobody to distract it. Worst of all, the adrenaline kicked in, so Peeta felt like it took hours to fall, the whole time staring up at Katniss. She was horrified. The shock on her face almost stopped his heart.

Buttercup hit the Cornucopia first. He bounced slightly, the wind knocked out of him. Peeta landed on top of him, doubling the damage. Blood burst from his leg. Peeta, completely drained of any fight, fell to the ground. The monster was exhausted as well. Killing all the tributes had truly been a labor of love. Falling out of the sky had been a rush, but now there was a fight to get to. The pair of fighters slid off the horn, and onto the ground.

Seconds passed. Neither fighter was willing to be the first to attack the other. Finally, Buttercup took a step forward. Peeta groaned.  
This was the worst week of his life. Declaring his love for Katniss, coupled with being hunted, and of course when he added in the fact that there no longer was the guarantee that someone would make it out as the victor easily ranked this week as far worse than all those before it.

The two grappled. The alien had a clear advantage. In terms of body mass, no human could compare. Still, Peeta struggled. It was obvious that someone was going to die, and soon. The tribute fell to one knee, once more cursing his bad leg. The creature pushed its advantage, driving him even lower. The tribute strained against the pain. His opponent showed no mercy. The veins in the human's neck stood out, threatening to rupture from the strain. He could not breathe. His wrists cracked with exertion. The baker's son, on muscle memory, swung his hips, the same way his father taught him to when bearing a heavy load. He whipped backward, hurtling the creature with all his might.

His enemy swung overhead, almost comically. It hit the ground with a thud, glowing blood burst from it wounds. The beast groaned loudly. Its innards were on fire. It got back up.

They drew their knives. Peeta was puffing by now, exhausted. He would take the monster's arm with him. That would bring some satisfaction. They waited half a second. In that time, Peeta realized two things; first, that the field was stable now, there was nothing terribly upsetting, no fire, now water, the earth was still and dead, and best of all…. no wind. Second, a whistling sound could be heard.

An arrow appeared in the beast's shoulder. It howled in pain. Buttercup raised his arm, and to launch the wrist blades at Katniss. Peeta imbedded his knife in the creature's forearm, throwing off its aim. The blades went wide, but a scream echoed from above the pair. In a rage, Peeta body slammed the monster, and beat its head in. When he returned to his senses, he realized the arrow had a rope in it. The monster's arm was in shreds, but his escape was disappearing. Peeta, in a gargantuan effort, slammed the monster underneath the Cornucopia. The beam holding it up shuddered, and gave way, crushing the beast. Peeta stumbled back, out of energy.

The last boy tribute grasped the blood slicked rope, and tried his best to hold on. Katniss would get into the ship; she would shut down the field. They would be okay.

Looking one last time into the eyes of the monster told him it was too late. It pressed some buttons on it communicator. Peeta closed his eyes, imagined himself in his home, having dinner with his family… Katniss was there though, smiling at him her breath stealing smile. It showed all of her teeth, something she rarely did. She was radiant in her mother's dress, more radiant than anything he had ever seen before. She was like a star that he could reach out and touch… The flash of white light stole what was left of his dream.

And then he embarked on the greatest adventure of all…

-The end.

A.N. NOT! There's more to come. Here's the deal I'll make; five reviews, I'll write a sequel. Ten, I'll finish the trilogy, if I get someone who's completely gaga over my work… I'll name someone's kid after you! That means you Mr. Fluffy-bunny-pants. But seriously, please read and review.

The next chapter should be the last to the story. Stay tuned...


	9. Author's Notes

You may begin to hate me.  
"Clever, you posted an entire chapter on author's notes?" Yes, yes I did. First, I want to thank those of you reading my work. I have long wanted to tell stories. And I love the fact that some people enjoy them.

For those of you who review, thank you very, very much. I don't know whether or not people get violently ill after reading my stories, so hearing a 'great job' every now and then makes it worth the time. I especially want to thank Predator-Chick. I spent the better part of ten minutes laughing my butt off because I thought she was asking if this story was going to turn into a Predator/Katniss thing. (C'mon, it's pretty funny) Yes, the next chapter will be the end of the story. Not much action, but it wraps things up.

If you want me to write a sequel, you can message me, or you can vote in the poll I set up.

Thanks again,

Clever

P.S. I'm still working on the first chapter, so let me know.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine Katniss vs. Engineering

When Katniss Everdeen was five years of age, a boy at her school named Frank told her that girls were stinky, had cooties, and could not build things like boys could. Apparently his older brother (who had been with one too many easy ladies) had the ego to tell him, "Chicks, man, cannot do math, pee standing up, or lead a country." He sipped his beer, and then added, "And they can't engineer worth a crap."

Katniss had stuck out her tongue, pushed Frank over, and gave him a cootie shot in a very painful place. She now had a severe change of heart. It was a sad thought that she had been more comfortable outside the ship.

Watching Peeta plummet had been horrifying. She actually shed a tear. The world would be watching she knew this. The fight was brutal even from a distance. Once she had a clear shot, she took it figuring the rope would help Peeta again. And then he fell again. A beam of pure white light hit him and the device on the creature exploded. Whatever plan they had for saving the day in the airship was now gone. Peeta was gone. Rue was gone. The monster was gone.

Katniss thought it was ironic she would escape the field to be trapped in an airship. She whacked the door futilely. The body of Cato was already starting to stink. Well, it started to stink in her mind. The door opened with compliance. The ship happened to be equipped with 'smart' machines that knew what the people using them wanted. And the security had been disabled. The creature must have needed that…

Katniss found the bridge. Under the body of a large man was a screen with a list.

1) Force-field-on/off

2) Position- Top of Cornucopia/home

3) Environment- Friendly/active

4) Screen- On/off

Katniss laughed. The systems set up to slaughter children were surprisingly user friendly. The higher systems had been gutted. Apparently only old, decommissioned ships were used for Hunger Games. She hit 'off' for the force-field, and hit 'home' for position.

The rest was too complicated to deal with. There were gauges and levers she did not understand. Even the coffee bar was too difficult to use. Who knew what this 'frappe' thing was anyway? A cup of coffee ought to be a cup of coffee! She sat in the captain's chair as the ship made its way back to its berth. Forever, or rather three hours and twenty-two minutes later, Katniss landed in the Capital. She was so gone physically and mentally she did not resist being carried out.

There was a great deal of damage to repair. Every tribute was scarred, but this was new. Society had become complacent, allowing the Capital to slaughter its children because that is how society was; but now there was serious doubt. The Capital made all the rules because it was in charge, if it was no longer in charge, it no longer made the rules.

Truthfully Herald had assembled what he considered enough troops to capture the predator; but he and his men were too late. There had not been enough time to act. The Capital looked foolish. Someone, or something, had snuck into the games and took total control. President Snow demanded somebody die.

The airship was taken to a yard where Herald ripped it apart looking for clues. The creature must have wired itself in somehow.

Katniss was spared. She went on the after-show. The questions were mostly about Peeta, and how she felt about him, how she felt when she lost him, how she felt when she got him back only to lose him again. In her opinion, it was stupid that everyone cared so much about her dating life. The time was cut short. She was escorted to an abandoned factory where Herald strapped her down.

"I told you I would get you, Girl on Fire," He started, "Now tell me everything that happened…"

And she told her story, the first time out of seventy-three totals times she would be forced to tell it for the government. Katniss figured out quickly that it was no mutt in there. This was a foreign player that had joined the games.

Katniss was sent home. On the ride home, she found that they were replaying the games. Peeta kept falling and disappearing. Over and over he left her. Then she realized why Herald was so interested in her story. A split second before the explosion, a beam of light hit Peeta. Perhaps it was nothing, but it appears as though he becomes… transparent. It almost, almost looks like he's disappearing. Maybe he was not dead, maybe he did what he wanted from the beginning with her. Maybe he was free.

Katniss shook her head. She was no freedom fighter; she was a hunter. If Peeta was still out there, he was either a predator, or prey.

She hoped he was a predator. Katniss was a predator too. She went to bed that night, dreaming that Peeta was sleeping with the gods….

A.N. Well… that was fun! I blew the ending. Originally, the stories end with Arnold going home, and Katniss goes home, so I had to do that. On the other hand, I had no real way of ending this story. The true ending is when I wrote 'the end'.

I hope you enjoyed this story. I have plans for three others. That is, in my mind anyways, the first in the trilogy. And there's one spin off. So, here's the deal I typically make; I get a bunch of reviews, I make a sequel. You say nothing, it stays as-is. Alright, I'm signing off now. If you want to chat, let me know.

-Clever


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